Janis Ian - Janis Ian

Release date TBA. Janis Ian captured the frustrations, awkwardness, and inner turmoil of teenaged existence with a clarity and maturity well beyond her tender age. Recorded when she was just 15 years old, Janis Ian was released in 1967 with the controversial Top 20 hit single "Society¹s Child." A dozen or so labels rejected the Shadow Morton-produced recording about interracial romance before it found release on Verve Folkways. A radio station in Atlanta was burned to the ground for playing it, and Janis received deaththreats for writing it.
Recorded with some of New York¹s finest session musicians, including Artie Butler on harpsichord, piano, and organ, Vinnie Bell and Al Gorgoni on guitars, Joe Mack on bass, and Buddy Saltzman on drums, Janis Ian, a Billboard Pop #29 hit album, has miraculously never been issued in Europe on CD. Until NOW!

Shout! Records is delighted to present the first CD series to collate the singles recordings by Joe Tex from his hit years on the Dial label and their Atlantic licensee, chronologically sequenced, and featuring the A-side and B-side of each 45. On this, Volume One, covering the years 1964 to 1966.

Joe was already a veteran of a decade of recordings on King, Ace and earlier Dial releases when producer Buddy Killen took him to Muscle Shoals, Alabama, in October 1964 to record ‘Hold What You've Got'. The disc was a crossover smash hit, and the rest is history. Each of the 11 A-sides in this collection reached the R&B top 20 and the US national Hot 100, providing a lasting impression of infectious mix of humour and soul philosophy that graced the music of Joe Tex.

Although there have been numerous CD re-issues of Joe's music, all to date have been either selective ‘greatest hits' collections or have re-packaged various albums, so this is a ground-breaking ‘first' in chronicling the illustrious career of the man dubbed ‘The Clown Prince of Soul', Joe Tex.

First collection of Joe Tex singles in sequence of releases. Features all the A-sides and B-sides & 11 R&B top 20 hits including two chart-toppers. Each single was also a Billboard Hot 100 hit. Booklet features track by track annotation.

Sounding like a groovy hybrid of The Free Design and The Mamas And The Papas,
the L.A.-based COLLAGE recorded one fab LP for Smash Records, made appearances
on American Bandstand, and Happening 68 and then promptly disappeared. released
in January 1968, The Collage features songs penned by Curt Boettcher, Roger
Nichols, The Addrisi Brothers, Price Andwalsh, and several originals by the band
themselves. This first-ever CD issue of The Collage from the Original Masters
includes 7 Bonus Tracks, including 4 cuts not found on the original LP. The
full-colour booklet also includes rare, unpublished photos and extensive liner
notes that feature the participation of original band members.

Released 29/06/09. The Golden Gate was the brainchild of Reid Whitelaw and Billy Carl, two songwriters reeling from the recent success of penning and singing on the 1910 Fruitgum Company’s 1968 hit “Goody Goody Gumdrops.”
1969’s Year One would follow a different path. Aided with some of New York and Philadelphia’s finest studio musicians—and the background vocals of none other than members of The Tradewinds (“New York’s A Lonely Town”)—The Golden Gate bridged lushly orchestrated soft pop, Bacharach-influenced Brill pop, Beach Boys/Four Seasons-influenced harmonies, with slight bubblegum affectations.
The Golden Gate was not long for this world and ceased operation shortly after the release of this, their lone LP. Coveted by Japanese soft pop collectors for years, it’s not uncommon for mint original copies of Year One to fetch three figures. Making its worldwide CD debut, Year One is augmented by 7 Bonus Tracks, which were culled directly from original master tapes.

Emerging in the early 90s with a series of now legendary, self-made cassettes, Wondermints quickly developed a reputation for being one of the pre-eminent bands operating in Los Angeles. Over the next decade, four albums followed, garnering massive acclaim, especially in Japan. In addition to all this, the band recorded many stray tracks, placed on now long-out-of print compilations, soundtracks including the main title to Austin Powers and singles. Just one listen to Kaleidoscopin and it immediately becomes apparent why, in 1996, Brian Wilson said, "If I'd had Wondermints in 1967, I'd have taken Smile out on the road."

Jay and Jerry Hopkins, The Twinn Connexion, were like no musical act anyone had ever seen before. The striking, identical blonde twins graced their 1968 Decca debut, Twinn Connexion in matching shag haircuts, floral-patterned brocade mod suits, and sharp white ankle boots. Even their ascots matched.
The music on Twinn Connexion was as unique as their look: soft-pop vocals steeped in sunshine and psychedelia-lite arrangements, complete with electric sitar and harpsichord, delivered by seasoned New York session men.
After being forgotten for years, Twinn Connexion, their lone album, has become a beloved soft-pop obscurity, fetching high prices on the collectors' market. The album will get its first legitimate CD release the Now Sounds way: with 8 bonus tracks, a deluxe 24-page booklet, loaded with rare photos and exclusive commentary from surviving Twinn, Jerry Hopkins!
Produced by Jerry Keller, cowriter of The Cyrkle hit ‘Turn Down Day,' Twinn Connexion was described by soft-pop expert Dawn Eden as "at once brilliant, enticing, and maddening"
Still, most of the songs that landed on their debut, Twinn Connexion, are more like the soundtrack for a psychedelic walk in the park (or a "Sixth Avenue Stroll"!) on a spring afternoon. Enjoy the sunshine.